Answering the call of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to rightsize the national government, a House panel on Monday, Nov. 28, approved the substitute bill for all 15 proposals that aim to improve public service delivery.
During its regular meeting, the House Committee on Government Reorganization, led by its chairperson, Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores, tackled the committee report and passed the substitute bill for 15 proposed measures that would begin the process of “analyzing and designing the appropriate role, mandate, structure, functions, size, systems and processes of government agencies in order to ensure effective, responsive, and efficient service delivery.”
The panel consolidated House Bills (HBs) 12, 2423, 2787, 2885, 3096, 3227, 3385, 3473, 3529, 3539, 4015, 4086, 4120, 4411, and 4816, which are authored by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Reps. Richard Gomez of Leyte 4th District, Patrick Michael Vargas of Quezon City 5th District, Margarita Ignacia Nograles of PBA Party-list, Teodorico Haresco Jr. of Aklan 2nd District, Michael Romero of 1-PACMAN Party-list, Keith Micah 'Atty. Mike' Tan of Quezon 4th District, Paolo Duterte of Davao City 2st District, Edvic Yap of ACT-CIS Party-list, Luis Raymund 'LRay' Villafuerte Jr. of Camarines Sur 2nd District, Gus Tambunting of Parañaque City 2nd District, Stella Luz Quimbo of Marikina City 2nd District, Virgilio Lacson of Manila Teachers Party-list, Joseph Gilbert Violago of Nueva Ecija 2nd District, and Flores.
The substitute bill, entitled “An Act to Rightsizing the National Government to Improve Public Service Delivery and Appropriating Funds Therefor,” will also include the committee-approved amendments and the results of the scheduled strategic review.
Budget Undersecretary Wilford Wong presented the technical review of the draft substitute bill.
His presentation included the proposed revisions to the bill’s definition of terms “to ensure clarity on the use of terminologies,” such as abolition, affected personnel, consolidation, deactivation, detailed rightsized organizational structure, merger, placement, rightsized organizational structure, rightsizing, staffing pattern, and transfer.
Quimbo, the author of one of the proposed bills, clarified the participation of the public and private sector in the rightsizing of government agencies and bureaus.
“This means outsourcing, right? That is what you mean by engage . . . I just want to clarify when you right size that means certain functions can be outsourced from the private sector,” she asked.
“Is that the correct appreciation? If that is correct, I think the word outsource should actually be used,” the lawmaker added.
To this, Wong answered that Quimbo’s observation will be taken into consideration.
But the lawmaker also raised concerns on what she called the “most controversial” of the Congress’ rightsizing initiative.
“Ano gagawin mo sa (What are you going to do with the) welfare ng employees na matatanggal (of employees who will be removed),” she asked.
Flores replied that another provision in the law “provides also that they would be also part of a pool and retrained and retooled by the Civil Service.”
Government employees have been against the proposed rightsizing of government, but Marcos already defended his position by saying it will put government resources “where it really matters, or where it is more urgent.”
The DBM, headed by Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, earlier expressed support for the President’s thrust for a lean, efficient, and responsive government workforce.